Eating disorder resources for current and previous clients

There’s no question that letting go of an eating disorder is one of the hardest things a person can do. Each individual will follow their own unique path to ED recovery. While there is no magic wand to wave away all the stress, challenges, and difficult moments, we'll try to provide the next best thing.

Here are suggestions shared by individuals who have had success with their ED recovery journey.

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1) Practice self-compassion.

Decide that you are worthy of eating disorder recovery and living a joyous life, which means full of ups and downs. Forgive yourself when you have a bad day. Acknowledge when you are tired and need rest. And keep reminding yourself that you are doing the best that you can.

2) Feed your soul.

If your body and brain are being deprived, you are less likely to reap the benefits of therapy or your mindfulness practice. Regardless of body shape or size, malnourishment increases the risk of medical complications, co-morbid psychiatric symptoms, and distorted thinking. 

Consider ways to nourish yourself beyond just the physical piece. Look at ways to feed your soul. That might be through journaling, creative expression like art or poetry, or playing an instrument or listening to music. We nourish our bodies with food, and our minds and hearts with knowledge and love.

3) It takes a village.

One person can’t give you the keys to eating disorder recovery. Rather, it takes a team. One who holds you accountable and provides the knowledge and skills you need for recovery. 

A dietitian specialized in eating disorders helps navigate your food rules and ultimately normalize eating. A medical doctor or nurse practitioner monitors for medical complications and can provide a reality check regarding the seriousness of your illness. A therapist who you genuinely connect with will be your ally to help you better understand yourself and your eating disorder. 

While it isn’t unheard of for people to recover on their own, it is immeasurably easier with a strong team of professionals by your side.

4) Look forward to future fun.

You have your clinical team, but remember your squad. Don’t let your eating disorder isolate you from those you care about and those who care about you, too! As one recovery pro said,

“Think about your friends who want to do things with you to help keep you out of your head and nudge you to go to meals. Eventually, the future fun with your friends will outweigh the fear of eating. Your friends can also provide a good model for more normalized eating patterns.”

5) Don’t forget that honesty is the best policy.

Many recovered individuals will stress that honesty is key to success. Because an eating disorder thrives in secrecy, being honest is a way to defy eating disorders and stake a claim on recovery. In addition, being open with your family and friends can be a great motivator to keep going on your recovery journey.

6) Use your eating disorder recovery tools.

An eating disorder is an incredibly effective coping mechanism…until it isn’t. And while this is an oversimplification of a very complex disease that can involve genetics, temperament, trauma, and a host of other contributors, it is undeniable that the use of eating disorder behaviors meets a very immediate need to dull or distract from unpleasant feelings or things. 

You cannot take away a coping mechanism, whether it is maladaptive or not, without replacing it with something else. How about adding healthy coping skills to your toolkit? This is where all those hours of DBT are going to come in handy. Other skills can be mindfulness, meditation, art or yoga. Have your pick.

Furthermore, the key to internalizing skills is to practice them often throughout the day. Repetition and time will help the brain form new neural pathways, and slowly but surely, these habits will replace the old, unhealthful ones.

7) Rediscover your sense of self.

Eating disorders are often ego-syntonic, or in other words, consistent with one’s sense of self. When you make the decision to pursue eating disorder recovery, it can feel like giving up a part of your identity, maybe one that you have held on to for a long time.

In the same way you must add new ways to self-regulate when you begin to abstain from your eating disorder behaviors, rediscovering your sense of self is key to maintaining your recovery. A journal can be a great way to do this, especially if you use writing prompts.

Thought starters for journaling throughout eating disorder recovery:

• What defines you outside of your eating disorder?
• Explore your relationship to others in your life, as a child, parent, spouse or friend.
• What are you passionate about?
• What subjects do you like best in school, or what is your favorite thing about your job?
• What makes you feel connected?
• What are your pet peeves?
• What’s your idea of the perfect day?

As the eating disorder identity fades away, make sure that YOU are there to take its place.

Ongoing change is achieved by building a life that has meaning to you, as an individual. Be open and willing to try anything, stick with what works, be kind to yourself and never forget:

Eating Disorder Recovery is possible.

We know finding care can be tough. Monte Nido is here for you. If you are concerned that you, or a loved one, may have an eating disorder, please reach out to us.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, 1 percent of people will be diagnosed with bulimia nervosa (BN) at some point in their lives. BN is characterized by persistent episodes of binge eating that is followed by compensatory behavior, which can include self-induced vomiting, use of laxatives, over-exercise and/or restricting that is used to “make up” for the food that was consumed during the binge episode.

Beyond the associated psychiatric symptoms, which often include substance use, anxiety, depression and/or self-injurious behavior, there are many potential medical risks that can make bulimia a particularly life-threatening condition.

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Bulimia Health Risk 1: Electrolyte imbalances and dehydration

Electrolyte imbalances are a constant risk for those living with bulimia due to common electrolyte loss resulting from compensatory behaviors. Electrolytes such as sodium, potassium, calcium and chloride are essential for the body to function at its optimum capacity. If those electrolytes have been purged from the body without being adequately replaced, the levels will fall, resulting in a disruption in the body’s delicate balance.

Electrolyte imbalances are closely linked to dehydration, a condition in which the body lacks the water volume to properly perform its various functions. Those with bulimia are at heightened risk for dehydration because water volume can drop so quickly during a purging episode. If too much water is purged from the body, it can result in serious medical complications including hypovolemic (low blood volume) shock, seizures and kidney or heart failure.

Bulimia Health Risk 2: Digestive issues, peptic ulcers and pancreatitis

Laxative abuse is common among those with bulimia and can disrupt the body’s natural gastrointestinal functioning causing the intestines to lose muscle tone and leading to dependence on laxatives to produce a bowel movement (BM). When laxative use stops, constipation can result, which often causes bloating and an uncomfortable feeling of fullness.

Peptic ulcers are sores in the lining of the stomach (gastric ulcers) or the first part of the small intestine (duodenal ulcers). These small breaks can be caused by excessive acid in the stomach or duodenum dissolving the lining in those areas resulting in painful, bleeding sores. Pancreatitis, or inflammation of the pancreas, can also result and can be life-threatening.

Bulimia Health Risk 3: Tooth decay

For those who engage in frequent self-induced vomiting behavior, staining and erosion can occur due to excess acid build-up in the mouth area. Depending on how long and how frequent this behavior is performed, teeth can erode so severely that chewing and swallowing can become difficult and necessitate the need for dental repair work or even full replacement or dentures.

Bulimia Health Risk 4: Stomach rupture

Binge eating episodes carry with them a risk of gastric rupture or perforation, a tearing of the stomach’s lining. During these episodes, the stomach expands to accommodate the larger than normal volume of food. This stretching can rupture the blood vessels that supply that area, which cut off the blood supply. A lack of blood in the area weakens the tissue making each successive binge more dangerous and more likely to tear the stomach’s wall.

Bulimia Health Risk 5: Esophageal inflammation and swollen salivary glands

The caustic stomach acid present in vomit can irritate the esophagus (the muscular tube leading from the throat to the stomach), causing irritation and sometimes tearing. This irritation can result in erosion and damage to the pharynx (throat) and vocal cords causing a sore throat, difficulty swallowing, and a hoarse voice. The salivary glands (located just in front of the ears at the base of the jaw) can also become swollen causing the cheeks to puff out.

Excessive vomiting can also lead to an esophagus rupture (or tear) causing the contents to spill into the chest and lead to serious lung complications. Esophageal ruptures can cause severe chest pain, vomit containing blood (hematemesis), nausea, rapid breathing, and fever. This is a medical emergency and must be treated immediately with surgery to repair the tear.

Bulimia Health Risk 6: Acid reflux

Another potential complication of frequent, excessive vomiting is acid reflux, which is the result of the gradual weakening of the lower esophageal sphincter (LES). When functioning properly, the LES opens to allow food/fluids to pass from the esophagus to the stomach and closes to prevent stomach contents from flowing backward. Frequent vomiting can cause the LES to lose muscle tone, which prevents it from closing properly. Failure to close properly allows for stomach contents to splash back into the esophagus, causing heartburn, chest pain, and difficulty swallowing.

The medical complications arising from bulimia can become life-threatening and extend beyond these risks. Swelling in the hands and feet (edema), irregular heartbeat, organ failure, loss of menstruation, infertility, broken blood vessels in the eyes (petechiae) due to vomiting episodes, and other complications associated with pregnancy can also result from BN.

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We know finding care can be tough. Monte Nido is here for you. If you are concerned that you, or a loved one, may have an eating disorder, please reach out to us now.

When Summer Triggers Body Dysmorphia  

For many people in eating disorder recovery, summer can be an especially triggering season. Warmer weather often brings increased focus on body exposure, including swimsuits, shorts, and social media filled with “bikini body” messaging. For individuals experiencing body dysmorphia, this heightened visibility can intensify feelings of anxiety, self-criticism, and the compulsive urge to “fix” perceived flaws.  

Body dysmorphia is a mental health condition characterized by obsessive thoughts about perceived physical defects that others may not notice or that are exaggerated in the person’s mind.  

During summer, the cultural pressure to conform to narrow beauty ideals, often rooted in diet culture, can amplify body image struggles and disrupt recovery. The seasonal shift may also involve changes in routine, increased social comparison, or events that center around food and appearance.  

If you're struggling with body dysmorphia this summer, know that you're not alone, and that your worth is not defined by how your body looks in the heat. Choosing recovery means choosing peace, nourishment, and self-respect, no matter the season.  

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Signs of Summer Body Dysmorphia  

Summer body dysmorphia can show up in subtle or distressing ways, especially as body-related pressures increase. Some common signs include:  

• Obsessively checking or avoiding mirrors  

• Excessive concern over how certain body parts look in summer clothing  

• Comparing your body to others at the beach or on social media  

• Canceling plans due to anxiety about your appearance  

• Feeling extreme distress when shopping for or wearing swimwear  

• Engaging in restrictive eating or compulsive exercise “to get summer-ready”  

• Believing your body is unacceptable or shameful in warmer-weather settings  

Recognizing these patterns is a crucial step toward reclaiming summer on your own terms.  

What Is Diet Culture—And Why Is It Harmful?  

Diet culture is the widespread belief that thinness equals health, beauty, and worth. It promotes the idea that certain body types—often white, thin, toned, and able-bodied—are more desirable than others. In the summer, this narrative is especially loud, showing up in phrases like “bikini body” or “summer body,” which imply that only certain bodies are worthy of being seen, celebrated, or comfortable in warm-weather clothing.  

Diet culture doesn’t just affect self-esteem. It can be deeply harmful, especially for those in recovery from an eating disorder. It normalizes restriction, overexercise, body dissatisfaction, and food guilt. It disguises harmful behaviors as “wellness” or “clean eating,” and it encourages people to measure their value by their appearance rather than their humanity.  

What’s more, diet culture often ignores the realities of genetics, trauma, chronic illness, and systemic oppression, placing blame on individuals for not fitting an arbitrary ideal. For those struggling with body image or disordered eating, summer can feel like a constant test of willpower, confidence, and worth.  

Understanding what diet culture is helps us challenge it—and choose recovery, compassion, and true health over societal pressure.  

Why "Fat Camps" Don’t Work  

While often marketed as a quick fix for weight loss, “fat camps” (also called weight loss camps or fitness retreats for kids and teens) can be deeply harmful, particularly for those at risk of or recovering from disordered eating. These programs typically focus on rapid weight loss through strict diets, high-intensity exercise, and public weigh-ins, all under the guise of promoting health. But what they actually reinforce is diet culture, body shame, and the idea that smaller bodies are inherently better.  

Many of these camps ignore the psychological and emotional aspects of body image and food relationships. Instead of fostering true well-being, they can trigger or exacerbate eating disorders, especially in young people. Studies have shown that early exposure to restrictive eating and weight-focused interventions increases the risk of disordered eating behaviors, including bingeing, purging, or long-term restriction.  

The structure of these eating disorder-adjacent summer camps often mirrors the exact cycles of control, shame, and fear that treatment programs work to dismantle. And when campers regain weight or struggle post-program, they may internalize that failure, deepening the very issues these camps claim to solve.  

True health isn’t about punishment, restriction, or conforming to societal beauty standards. It’s about nurturing the body and mind in sustainable, compassionate ways. For those struggling with body image or food, trauma-informed, weight-inclusive treatment is far more effective and far less damaging than a temporary stay at a fat camp.  

What Monte Nido’s Eating Disorder Treatment Does Differently  

Unlike restrictive “fat camps,” Monte Nido’s eating disorder treatment programs are rooted in compassion and clinical expertise. We understand that summer can intensify body image struggles and disordered eating behaviors, which is why our care is tailored to support clients, especially during this vulnerable time.  

Our eating disorder treatment programs offer evidence-based, trauma-informed care. Instead of emphasizing weight or appearance, we focus on restoring physical and emotional health through personalized nutritional support, individual and group therapy, medical and psychiatric care, and mindfulness-based practices.  

Monte Nido’s approach is weight-inclusive and free of body shaming - clients are never judged based on size or appearance. We also support clients in navigating summer-specific triggers like swimwear anxiety, increased social comparison, and changes in daily structure, all within a safe, affirming environment.  

For adolescents and adults alike, our programs provide a chance to step away from the pressures of diet culture and step into a community that values healing over appearance, and sustainability over quick fixes. Whether you're seeking eating disorder treatment and support for yourself or someone you love, Monte Nido offers true recovery, not restriction.  

This Summer, Break Free from Diet Culture  

You don’t need to change your body to enjoy the season. You deserve peace, freedom, and joy, just as you are. At Monte Nido, we believe recovery means reclaiming your life from diet culture and learning to nourish both body and mind with compassion.  

If summer brings more anxiety than ease, you’re not alone, and you don’t have to navigate it by yourself. Our eating disorder treatment programs offer evidence-based, affirming care for every step of your journey.  

Reach out today to learn more or start the path toward lasting healing.